The present invention generally relates to apparatus and methods for transferring a fluent material to or from a bulk container.
Fluent materials, such as liquids or granular powders, are commonly packaged inside large-volume bulk containers to facilitate shipment. Conventional bulk containers are sized to hold a large volume of fluent material so as to reduce the cost of packaging and shipping. Common fluent materials include food products, pharmaceuticals, fuels, chemicals, beverages, and the like. Certain fluent materials are commercially sterilized or pasteurized and packaged by processors in bulk containers under aseptic or hygienic conditions. For example, liquid food products and liquid pharmaceutical products are frequently processed or sterilized under aseptic conditions and packaged in an aseptic manner into a bulk container which preserves the asepsis. Other fluent materials are rendered hygienic, such as by pasteurization, and packaged into hermetically-sealed or air-tight bulk containers for shipment. Fluent materials may also be handled in an unprocessed state and packaged into a hermetically-sealed or air-tight bulk container.
One common type of bulk container is a large-capacity flexible bag, which is usually housed within a rigid outer housing, a flexible outer housing, a drum, or a box. The flexible bag is provided with an access port or fitment which serves as an inlet through which the fluent material can be introduced into the bag and which can subsequently be sealed to protect the contents of the bulk container against contamination. The fitment may also serve as an outlet for dispensing fluent material from the flexible bag. Alternatively, a separate fitment may serve as the outlet or the filled flexible bag can simply be cut so that the fluent material may be poured from the flexible bag.
In handling hygienic or commercially-sterile fluent materials, it is extremely important that the interior of the bulk container and its content of fluent product remain isolated from the time of processing and filling throughout the fluid transfer processes that either dispense the contents or add additional fluent material to the contents. The fitment through which fluent material is transferred must be sealed to prevent entry of contaminants, such as microorganisms. The fitment may be provided with a removable closure plug or may be filled and closed by sealing the fitment with a sheet or diaphragm of sealing material. This sheet of sealing material is removed, such as by piercing or rupturing, to allow transfer of fluent material after an external connection has been made between the fitment and a fill/discharge line. The fluent material inside the bulk container may be dispensed by a single dispensing operation or may be filled by a single filling operation. Alternatively, a valve may be attached to the fitment to regulate the flow of fluent material so that the bulk container may be partially emptied in multiple dispensing procedures or incrementally filled in multiple filling procedures. The valve permits fluent material to be selectively discharged from the container.
The fill/discharge line, any valve connected to the fitment, and the area about the fitment must be hygienically sanitized or sterilized before fluent material is transferred to the fill/discharge line, as in the case of aseptic or commercially-sterile fluent material handling. Due to the potential infiltration of contamination, such as microorganisms, from the surrounding environment, the fluent material can be contaminated by multiple filling or dispensing procedures unless extraordinary precautions are taken. To prevent contamination that might, for example, compromise the asepsis of the fluent material inside the bulk container, all areas and surfaces of the valve that the fluent material might contact during the filling or dispensing operation must be sanitized or sterilized.
Thus, there is a need for an apparatus and method that will allow a processor to repeatedly dispense quantities of a fluent material from a bulk container or to incrementally fill a bulk container with quantities of a fluent material or materials without contaminating fluent material present inside the bulk container.
The present invention generally provides containers configured to hold and allow the selective transfer of a fluent material and methods effective for the selective transfer of quantities of a fluent material under conditions that prevent contamination of fluent material inside the container. After connection and proper sanitization or sterilization of the fill/discharge line and associated components, the container of the present invention permits selective dispensing or filling of quantities of fluent material into or from the container while easily integrating into existing processing and transferring operations.
The container generally comprises a holding portion having an interior configured to hold a fluent material, such as a liquid food product, a flexible conduit defining a flow channel, a first access port in fluid communication with a first section of the flexible conduit and a second access port in fluid communication with a second section of the flexible conduit. The holding portion may have a wide variety of capacities and constructions. The flow channel is in fluid communication with the interior of the holding portion and the second section is located nearer to the interior of the holding portion than the first section. The first and second access ports each have a sealed condition which prohibits the flow of fluent material therethrough and an unsealed condition that permits fluent material to flow therethrough. The first section of the flexible conduit is configured to be selectively divided or isolated from the second section to prevent outward leakage of fluent material and/or to prevent entry of contaminants through the first access port after the first access port is placed in the unsealed condition, a quantity of the fluent material is transferred through the first access port, and the flow of the fluent material through the first access port is subsequently discontinued. The division can be accomplished hermetically, aseptically, sanitarily, mechanically, or by heat-sealing.
According to the present invention, a method of transferring a fluent material to or from a holding portion of a container comprises providing a container with a flexible conduit having a plurality of access ports spaced along its length. One end of the flexible conduit is in fluid communication with the holding portion of the container. A first quantity of the fluent material is transferred using a first access port of the plurality of access ports. Thereafter, the flexible conduit is divided or isolated between the first access port and the holding portion to prevent outward leakage of fluent material and/or to prevent the entry of contaminants through the first access port into the holding portion. Thereafter, a second quantity of the fluent material is transferred using a second access port of the plurality of access ports.